Latest Reports

Making a Quantifiable Difference

Cities fuel remarkable economic and cultural opportunity, but can also amplify dire social problems such as unemployment, financial instability, and homelessness. Many cities are working to tackle these challenges, yet there is still too little evidence about what works, what is sustainable, and how to leverage scarce resources.

Our data-driven approach addresses this lack of evidence, to help ensure that every public and philanthropic dollar makes a quantifiable difference in the lives of our nation’s most vulnerable.

The Poverty Lab brings together the power of big data and strategic partnerships with government agencies and nonprofits. We are working with cities and foundations to strengthen workforce development efforts for the long-term unemployed and help connect low-income parents to resources that can benefit their children. Using government data in novel ways and linking data across domains, we also seek to help cities harness their own data resources to better address pressing issues such as housing instability.

By focusing on quantifiable results, the Poverty Lab is working to inform policy and improve human lives.